Knife sharpener



Dec. 23, 1958 w. E. MOORE 2,865,148

KNIFE SHARPENER Filed April 8, 1955 lli wlu

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nited States PatentA KNIFE SHARPENER Y Walter E. Moore, 4lBel-Nor, Mo., assgnor to Swing-A- Way Manufacturing Company, Sit. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application .April 8, l1955,*Serialllm 500,182

1 Claim. (Cl. V51-210) stantly recurring necessity both for opening cans and for sharpening knives makes eminentlypractical `a combination device which may be ,wall mounted for ,constant availability and which utilizes a common crank 4`for operating such a dual purpose device.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel crank operated device which may be wall mounted, and which is adapted to perform the dual functions of opening cans and sharpening knives.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel kitchen implement which incorporates rotary knife sharpening means with a crank operated can opening mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel rotary sharpener for grinding either side of a knife blade at will.

The foregoing, along with additional objects and advantages, will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view showing a kitchen V'implement constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 isa vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged vertical sectional views taken generally along the lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2, a portion of the crank member included in the implement being omitted; and

Figure 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating a sharpening operation.

Referring to the drawing more particularly through the use of reference characters, the numeral 10 designates generally a kitchen implement conforming to the teachings of the present invention. The device 10 includes a novel knife sharpening assembly 12 combined in a novel manner with a generally conventional can opening mechanism 14.

Considering rst the mechanism 14, a main frame member 16 of well known form has mounted thereon a conventional carrier assembly 18 provided with the usual driven gear 19 and cutting disc 20, and having a handle 22 for shifting the parts 19 and 20 into a cooperative relation with a driving gear 24 and feed wheel 26. From Figure 2, it will be noted that the gear 24 and wheel 26 are assembled in conventional manner at one end of la shaft28.

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The shaft 28 is rotatably supported in an elongated bushing 30 Vpressed into an aperture 32 in the frame member 16 as clearly illustrated in the drawings. Preferably, the bushing 30 is provided with an extended portion 34 which serves as a stationary-arbor for the rotatable knife sharpening assembly 12. "At the same time the shaft 28is rotatably-supported'inside the bushing 30.

The shaft 28 forms partpof a crank assembly 36 which includes a crank member 38 having a pivoted handle 40 at its free end and ywhich is securely joined to the shaft 28 at its pivot end. The securement of the crank 38 to the pin 28 may take-the form of ya drive fit between an aperture 42 in the crank 38 and an enlarged diameter portion 44 of the shaft 28. A drive socket 46'is secured to the portion44 in asimilar manner Vso asto be rotatable with the crank assembly 36 and the shaft28. This drive socket 46 is generally cup-like in form, and has its free edges formed in the shape of a hexagon, as illustrated in Figure 5.

The Lknife sharpening assembly 12 comprises a circular grinding Wheel 48 flanked by a pair of metal flanges 50, all mounted on a hollow bushing 52 and secured by a nut 54. As clearly shown in'Figure Y2, the bushing 52 is provided with a hexagonal head 56 at one end,fexternal threads 5S .at the vother end, and a center cylindrical portion 60. The ilanges V50with ythegrinding wheel 48 interposed therebetween are disposed on the cylindrical portion 60 and are retained thereon by the nut 54. This provides a rigid assembly adapted to rotate upon the extended portion 34 of the bushing 30. The hexagonal head 56 is received in the drive socket 46 of the handle assembly 36 so that rotation of the latter produces a like rotation of the knife sharpening assembly 12. Preferably, a compression spring 62 is disposed Within the cup-like socket 46 to bear against the bushing 52 so as resiliently to bias the handle assembly 36 including the shaft 28 and the feed wheel 26 axed thereto to the right in Figure 2. A washer 64 may be provided between the end of the bushing 52 and the out turned ilange forming the aperture 32.

Figure 2 depicts a preferred cross-sectional shape for the grinding wheel 4S, and it will be noted that the shape is such as to provide a rim portion 66 having parallel annular side faces 68. Reference to the enlarged view of Figure 6 shows the llanges 50 to be so shaped that an intermediate portion 70 engages the innermost edge of the annular face 68. As is clear from the illustration of Figure 6, the portion 70 is frusto-conical in shape and is in angular relation to the face 68. The angle between the portion 70 and the face 68 is predetermined to provide an eicient cutting action, as will appear. A portion 72 of the flange 50 is also frusto-conical in shape and extends both radially and laterally outward from the portion 70. Like the portion 70, the portion 72 is in predetermined angular relation to the associated face 68 of the wheel 66. It will be noted that the latter angle, however, is greater than that formed between the face 68 and the portion 70. A typical arrangement would provide angles of l5 degrees and 20 degrees between the face 68 and the portions 70 and 72, respectively.

Operation As has been mentioned, the device 10 is adapted for wall mounting and will, therefore, be constantly available both for opening cans and for sharpening knives and the like. The operation of the can opening mechanism 14 is wholly conventional in that the disc 20 is separated from the feed wheel 26 by appropriate manipulation of the handle 22, the rim of the can being then inserted between these parts which are again brought 3 l together by movement of the handle 22. Rotation of the handle assembly 36 then eiects the opening of the can as is well known.

HRotation of the handle assembly 36 serves also to rotate the knife sharpening assembly 12 through the driving engagement of the socket member 46 with the head 56 of the bushing 52. A knife blade, such as that indicated by theletter K in Figure 6, may be inserted into the angular space formed between the face 68 of the grinding wheel 66 and the portion 70 of the ange 50. Clearly, with the knife blade K thus disposed, continued rotation of the assembly 12 will cause that side of the cutting edge of the blade which engages the face 68 to be ground. It is noteworthy, however, that only that portion of the blade K which is immediately adjacent the cuting edge will be touched or rubbed by any part of the assembly`12. Thus, the blade edge may be ground without at the same time scratching the polished side of the blade which is away from the cutting edge. The knife blade K is, of course, moved backwards and forwards to effect grinding of the whole length of the cutting edge. After one side has been ground, the blade K is moved to the opposite side of the grinding wheel 66 so that the remaining side of the cutting edge may be similarly ground.

Clearly, there has been described a combination can opener and knife Sharpener which fullls the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way f 4 of illustration and example. It is further to be understood that changes in the form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, or the substitution of equivalent elements, all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

In a kitchen utensil, a knife sharpening assembly comprising a grinding wheel having a rim portion provided with parallel annular grinding faces having sharp circular inner edges, a pair of identical concave-convex ange members disposed in anking arrangement on each side of said grinding wheel, said flange members including concentric inner and outer frusto-conical portions having their convex sides toward said wheel, the inner portion having a larger apex angle than the outer portion, and means securely clamping said ange members and the wheel between them so as to maintain the inner frusto-conical portions in iirm clamped engagement with respective inner edges of the grinding faces.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

